Rwanda: Mobile Community Libraries to Improve On Reading Culture

In a bid to improve the reading culture in the country, the Ministry of Education, Education Development Center and USAID yesterday launched a mobile community library initiative.

According to Ms Joyce Musabe, the Deputy Director General, Rwanda Education Board, the initiative was comes at the moment.

She explained that a study carried out last year showed that a number of pupils did not know how to read or if they did, did not understand what they were reading.

"Therefore, this move is meant to improve the reading and writing skills of pupils as well since they complement each other," Ms Musabe said, adding that teachers have also faced a challenge of teaching without material to refer to.

"So, it will also help teacher horn their skills," she said.

Mr Said Yasin, the Chief of Party, Education Development Center, Inc, echoed ms Musabe's words, saying, "The more a child reads, the better they get at it and it also shows in their school achievement."

The mobile library is part of the L3 (literacy, language, learning) USAID five year project to improve literacy and numeracy in the country.

For the start, there will be one mobile library in Cyuru, Gicumbi district. However, the goal is to have over 80 community mobile libraries across the country and reach every school.

"We shall start with seven communities. One mobile library will be rotating in the communities after a month in a particular community," Mr Yasin said.

There are about 1,200 books of different titles in both Kinyarwanda and English at the library.

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